Cheater
by DragonRadar
Summary: Syrus thinks Jaden is cheating on him, which means he has no choice but to leave him. Things aren’t what they seem, but will Syrus find out the truth in time to salvage their two year relationship? JudaiSho, Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**Author: **Dragon Radar

**Rating: **R

**Title: **_Cheater_

**Summary: **Syrus thinks Jaden is cheating on him, which means he has no choice but to leave him. Things aren't what they seem, but will Syrus find out the truth in time to salvage their two-year relationship? Judai/Sho, Yaoi

**A/N: **This story is set in the future, and I wasn't exactly sure how many years the students attend the Duel Academy. In my universe, they attend until they're nineteen. That means Zane is in his final year, and Syrus and Jaden are both seventeen.

**Cheater**

"Oh…right there..."

"You like that, huh?"

An enthusiastic little squeal was Jaden's only answer. He snickered and attacked again, teasing Syrus's nipple with his tongue. His fingers roamed up and down the smaller boy's sides, first caressing, and then tickling playfully. Syrus squealed again, twisting and turning under him in a feeble attempt to escape.

"Jaden! Stop! Stop!" Syrus's pleas went unanswered, as Jaden continued to tickle the shirtless boy ruthlessly.

"Who's the King of Games?" he asked jokingly. Syrus stopped laughing long enough to smirk mischievously.

"Yugi!" he replied cheekily. Jaden spluttered in mock indignation and then changed his tactics. He slanted his mouth over Syrus's, seeking out the other boy's tongue. Grinning wickedly against Syrus's mouth, he let his hand sneak under the waistband of Syrus's boxers. The bluenette squeaked (Jaden loved that sound) and immediately arched upwards with need. Jaden broke the kiss roughly, his fingers temptingly close to reaching their final destination.

"Sure you don't want to change your answer?" he asked, teasingly brushing a finger against Syrus's manhood.

"That depends," he stopped to take in a few heavy breaths, "on what my reward will be for lying."

A surprised look came over Jaden's face that quickly morphed into amusement.

"You're in a playful mood today, aren't you?" Syrus nodded with a sensual hunger in his eyes that only Jaden ever saw.

"I've been thinking about you all day. I've been half hard since third period." Jaden's belly tightened when he heard the other boy's admission.

Then something occurred to him.

"Even in Dr. Crowler's class?"

Syrus flashed his little grin again.

"Mmmhmmm…the thought of you is just _that_ sexy," Syrus half-purred. Jaden laughed, kissing his boyfriend again and finally giving him his hard earned reward.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Sy," Jaden joked after they were done fooling around. The two of them lay side by side on the bottom bunk – the same bunk they'd shared for the past two years at Duel Academy. Of course, it was considerably less spacey than it had been their first year when they'd both been scrawny fifteen year olds. Now, both boys had become men. Still, the little dorm room by the sea had been where it all started and where all the magic happened. Although both boys had earned spots in Obelisk Blue, they still wore their red jackets with pride.

Not many knew it was the attachment they had to that rickety bottom bunk that kept them from accepting promotion.

"I should get dressed. Chumley's going to come barreling in here any second," Syrus said sadly. Jaden agreed sleepily, but merely wrapped his arms tighter around his pillow and went back to his napping. "Seriously, Jaden, let me up. Or at least get off the covers."

Jaden chose the second option. He then stripped out of his own shirt and snuggled back down. So what if it was only five in the afternoon? They didn't have anymore classes for the day, and it definitely wouldn't be the first time the two boys slept through dinner.

Syrus closed his eyes, even though he wasn't very tired. He knew it would be much easier to just pretend to be asleep rather than awkwardly be the one to tell Chumley that, no, they weren't going to dinner and yes, those were his boxers on the floor.

Sure enough, the door burst open not a half hour later (you'd think after all the times Chumley had walked in on them, he'd learn to knock) and Chumley's giant footsteps could be heard slowly entering in the room. He was a Ra Yellow now, and he usually came by to invite them to eat with him in the Ra cafeteria where the food was much better.

"Hey, Syrus? You coming to…oh! Whoops! Later you two!"

Syrus kept his eyes closed, but he smiled ever-so-slightly.

"Is he gone?" Jaden asked sleepily.

"Yeah," Syrus replied, running his fingers through Jaden's unruly brown hair.

"Let's wait till everyone is at dinner and then we can go down to the beach."

"Alright, but I would have showered earlier for nothing."

"What have I told you about showering? It's pointless. I'm only going to debauch you again."

"Where did you learn the word 'debauch'?" Syrus asked teasingly.

"Ha ha, Syrus, you're _so_ funny." Jaden rose up on an elbow, looking down at Syrus lovingly. Quite suddenly, he sat up, nearly hitting his head on the bunk above him. "Shit! I almost forgot! Listen, I have to take a rain check for the beach. I have to go to a detention." Jaden was hopping around on the floor, hastily pulling his clothes on.

Syrus sat up a little bewildered.

"A detention? When did you get a detention?"

Jaden, however, was already at the door. "I'll give you the details later, Sy. I'm late!"

"Okay, I guess. I love you," Syrus said with a shy smile. Jaden paused and turned back, a strange look on his face. He smiled – it seemed a little off – and quickly left.

Syrus's brows knitted in confusion. Jaden always replied when Syrus told him he loved him. He never just ran off like that. What the fuck had just happened?

His playful mood ruined, Syrus rolled out of bed and began to tug on his clothes. He might as well try to make it to dinner. He wasn't hungry, but he'd only go crazy sitting in the dorm room wondering why Jaden hadn't replied.

He thought about eating over at Ra Yellow, but his mood had blackened and he didn't want to explain it to Chumley. Instead, he walked slowly to his own meal hall and sat down heavily. He knew he shouldn't let such a small thing bug him, but Jaden knew how self-conscious he could get. Had Jaden meant anything by it? And since when did Jaden go rushing out half dressed in order to make it on time to a detention? Usually he'd just miss it – especially if it was with Crowler. Even though it was silly, Syrus was already becoming obsessed with doubts and fears. He and Jaden had been the perfect couple for two years without any of the petty fighting that other teenaged couples seemed to experience. Had they finally hit their first road block?

He pushed the food around on his plate for a half hour, then decided he should just go for a walk and clear his head.

He decided to head over to the lake, as he certainly didn't want to think about what he and Jaden usually did at the beach. He thought he might even pop in on his older brother, who was in his final year at the Duel Academy, but then decided the last thing he wanted to hear was Zane's subtle but pointed put downs. His brother wasn't ashamed of him for being a weak duelist anymore (he could actually give Zane a run for his money sometimes) but he didn't approve of his relationship with Jaden.

Why did all his thoughts come back to Jaden? He was angry with him, he realized, and he really didn't want to think about him.

"Look, Chazz, you have to tell him," Jaden said from nearby.

"Great! Now I'm hearing his voice!" Syrus groaned in frustration before realizing that the voice was real and not in his head. Immediately suspicious, as Jaden had said he was going to a detention, he crept closer to a group of bushes that concealed the pair from his view. Well, he could see Chazz's rather nice backside, but Jaden was directly in front of Chazz, so he was blocked from view.

"That's easy for you to say. _Little_ Syrus would jump off a cliff if you told him to," Chazz replied harshly.

"I might have to ask him to do just that if I want to keep seeing you like this without him knowing. I think he's finally getting suspicious. I really bungled it this afternoon." Syrus could hear the exasperation in Jaden's voice. His fingers dug angrily into the dirt at his feet, clenched as tight as steel.

'_That bastard!'_ Syrus thought angrily, wanting to pick up a nearby rock and chunk it at his boyfriend's stupid head. Sure, he did whatever Jaden asked of him. It was because he loved him! He thought Jaden loved him, too, but this – this was worse than anything he could have ever thought up. His boyfriend, his perfect boyfriend, was cheating on him with that slimy stuck-up Chazz!

"Did you hear that?" Chazz asked quietly. Syrus's eyes widened. He didn't want Jaden to know that he was on to him. As quietly as he could, he began backing up on his hands and knees until he reached a low stone wall and was able to duck behind it and run.

He hadn't made it fifteen feet away before he started crying uncontrollably. He kept running blindly, cutting around the lake and tearing through the bushes. In his haste, he plowed down Alexis.

"Syrus! Hey, what's wrong!" Alexis asked quickly, standing up and brushing herself off.

"It's…it's…that _bastard_ Jaden!"

Alexis was sure here eyebrows were touching her hairline. Everyone knew Jaden and Syrus were the most nauseatingly cute and happy couple in the entire school.

"Hold on, Syrus. Just slow down and tell me what happened," Alexis urged. Syrus wiped furiously at his big, gray eyes.

"I…I caught him cheating on me."

"What!" Alexis half-roared. The idea was ridiculous. Jaden loved Syrus and no one else. She had learned that the hard way.

"With who?" she asked in disbelief.

"Chazz! That slimeball Chazz! They…they didn't see me. What do I say to him? How am I supposed to face him? I can't…I don't…"

"Calm down, Syrus. Breathe. You don't say anything to him. If Jaden is being so stupid, dump his sorry ass. Just because you…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Just because I _what_?" Syrus asked harshly. "Tell me the truth, Alexis."

"Oh, Syrus, it's just…well…you're awfully clingy, you know? I mean, you can tell sometimes that Jaden just wants to be alone, or do something with someone else, but you're always _right_ there. And you always do _everything_ for him. He uses you pretty shamelessly, Syrus. How long have you been doing his homework? I mean, come on. Everything wasn't as perfect as you like to think it was. Zane and I both could see it."

Syrus was quiet for a long time, just sitting at Alexis's feet. Then, quietly, he stood up and dusted off his clothing.

"I appreciate your honesty, Alexis. I have a lot to think about. If you'll excuse me?" He brushed past her without another word, tears gone from his eyes. Alexis watched him go, shaking her head. It sounded like she might have actually gotten through to him. Musing over what the break-up might mean, she made her way to meet Zane down at the docks. He was going to be glad to hear the news.

Syrus was lying when he'd told Alexis he had a lot to think about. He'd decided the second Jaden had made the comment about telling him to jump off a cliff. They were over. No matter how much it hurt him, no matter how hard it was to loose Jaden, he wasn't going to be cheated on. He just wouldn't stand for it. And what's more – he was going to make Jaden rue the day he decided to cheat.

"All my life I've been made to feel like I'm not good enough. You helped show me that I was good enough, Jaden. You helped me find confidence and self respect, and now I'm going to show you that I've really changed. I don't have to take this shit from you. I deserve better."

Syrus figured a good way to start would be to rip up the five page essay he'd written for Jaden just that morning. As he walked back to the dorm, he wondered what life would be like without Jaden. It made his heart constrict painfully, but he couldn't let Jaden just…just…

He had to make a stand for himself. He just had to be strong enough to walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author: **Dragon Radar

**Rating: **R

**Title: **_Cheater_

**Summary: **Syrus thinks Jaden is cheating on him, which means he has no choice but to leave him. Things aren't what they seem, but will Syrus find out the truth in time to salvage their two-year relationship? Judai/Sho, Yaoi

**A/N: **This story is set in the future, and I wasn't exactly sure how many years the students attend the Duel Academy. In my universe, they attend until they're nineteen. That means Zane is in his final year, and Syrus and Jaden are both seventeen.

**Cheater**

_**Chapter 2**_

When Jaden returned to the dorm room, hoping to find Syrus sleeping so that he wouldn't have to explain himself, he was greatly disappointed to find an empty room.

"Guess Sy went for dinner, though it's a bit late…" Jaden flicked on the light and his eyes immediately bugged out in horror. Littered on the floor like confetti was the paper he had to turn in the next day. Someone had broke into his dorm and ripped up his essay!

But…there was no sign of someone breaking in. Could Syrus have done it?

"Don't be stupid, Jaden," he told himself, "Syrus wouldn't rip up his own work – not when it meant he'd just have to do it all over again. He'll be back soon and we can figure out what to do then."

But Syrus didn't come back that night. Jaden hardly slept, and when he finally passed out into a dead sleep, there was no one to wake him up for class the next morning.

Syrus hadn't slept either. He'd ended up spending the night with Zane. Syrus had showed up on his doorstep with an overnight bag and a glum expression.

"It's over. Jaden and I are through. Could I crash here for the night?" Zane had let him inside, already knowing the details as he'd spoken with Alexis about it an hour before.

"It's for the best," Zane had said coldly. "You know mother and father would have never approved."

"I really don't want to talk about it. Can we just sleep?"

But he hadn't slept. He'd tossed and turned for hours, unable to sleep without Jaden's arms around him. He'd gotten up in the middle of the night, tears streaming down his face, ready to go crawling back to Jaden even though he hadn't even told him he'd left yet.

Zane had told him to quit crying like a girl and go back to sleep. It was tough love, but it had worked. Now, he was sitting in class trying valiantly not to stare at Jaden's empty seat smugly.

'_I guess that means he didn't have any trouble sleeping without me, though,'_ Syrus thought sadly.

"Mr. Truesdale, perhaps _you _can answer my question," Dr. Crowler sniped meanly. Sitting up straight, Syrus swallowed thickly.

"Err…what was the question again, Dr. Crowler?" The blonde man sighed in frustration and quickly repeated the question.

"Could you theoretically have three of _Umi_ and three of _A Legendary Ocean_ in a deck?"

Syrus's mind was _really_ not on the intricacies of water decks at the moment. He stood up a bit grudgingly, trying to pick his own brains for the answer. Bastion had a water deck, didn't he? And the two of them had discussed this several months back.

"Err…no, since Legendary Ocean is treated as having the same name as Umi – I think?"

Dr. Crowler looked like he had something sour in his mouth, but he nodded in recognition of the correct answer.

"So, say you are fearful of not drawing your Field Spell cards. What do you do then?"

Syrus hated answering in front of the class. He loosened his jacket collar nervously and tried to force his mind to think of a solution. Usually Jaden would be right at his elbow and whisper the answers to him when he froze up.

He _didn't_ need Jaden!

"You could, uh, have one _Legendary Ocean_ and two _Terraforming_. That would raise the odds about as high as they could get in favor of getting your Field Spell card out."

"Correct. You may sit." Dr. Crowler continued on with the lesson, and thankfully Syrus wasn't called on again. Jaden never showed up – probably because he didn't have a paper to turn in. That, at least, made Syrus a little more cheerful. Syrus felt as if he'd been made a fool of – as if he was just using him for an errand boy while he was really screwing Chazz. It made him want to punch someone – preferably Chazz.

Chazz hadn't shown up to class either. It was a good move on his part. Syrus was still the shortest boy in their year, but he wouldn't have let that stop him. He seriously wanted to beat up the obnoxious slut. He'd never been so angry in all of his life.

That afternoon, he ate in the Obelisk cafeteria with Zane and Alexis. Zane was as quiet as ever, but Alexis chatted about her last match with another girl in the dorm, in the hopes of keeping his mind off things. She was practically in the middle of a sentence when he made his announcement.

"I think I'm going to accept the promotion now."

Alexis fell silent. Zane glanced up from his drink.

"It's about time. There's no point going to the best dueling school in the world and turning down a top position. I know you still have two more years, but the job market for duelists is a small one. Not everyone can be famous. You'll need every advantage you can get on paper. Being in Obelisk will look much better to future employers."

Syrus nodded. Why did he get the feeling that his years as an Obelisk Blue weren't going to be very happy? Alexis wasn't so bad, but being in the same house as Chazz – eating meals with him and taking classes with him – it was going to be unbearable.

Speaking of Chazz, the devil himself walked into the cafeteria.

"Just ignore him, Syrus," Alexis advised, seeing that the other boy was walking towards their table. Everyone got quiet to hear what would be said. Of course, the entire school already knew there was trouble in paradise, though the exact reason was murky, and Syrus hadn't officially told Jaden they were over. Hundreds of rumors were flying around, most of them ridiculous.

"Well, if isn't a Slifer in Obelisk territory? What is it, Slifer? You're perfect boyfriend finally manage to shake you off his ass?"

Syrus clenched his glass so tightly that it started to crack. Much to Syrus's surprise, Zane stood up, immediately demanding respect and pulling rank.

"Go back to your table, Chazz. Now," he ordered imperiously. Shaking his head, Syrus slammed his glass down. He wasn't going to let Zane fight another one of his battles. He'd learned the lesson a long time ago that doing that was a quick way to loose his brother's respect.

"No, Zane, this one's mine." He stood up slowly and turned, head lifted high. Chazz only arched an eyebrow.

"What? _Little_ Syrus showing a backbone? Ha!"

"SHUT UP!" Syrus half-roared, surprising everyone at the raw anger in his voice. Even Chazz looked taken back. "I challenge you to a duel, Chazz. If I win, you never speak to me again. If you deny me a duel, then let everyone know that it's because you're a slime sucking coward. Do you accept or not?"

Looking slightly bewildered, Chazz nodded. "Fine. I'll kick your ass any day, Slifer scum. Just name the place and time."

"Now. Outside."

"Syrus, maybe you should…" Alexis warned, not wanting to piss of Syrus further. Truth was, after Chazz had left and returned to the school, he'd come back ten times better. He was truly a formidable opponent now. Alexis didn't know if Syrus could really take him. Sure, he was pretty good against Jaden and Zane, but he never actually _won_.

"And what if I win?" Chazz asked, hands on his hips.

"Then I'll quit. You've never liked me. Now it's your chance to get rid of me," Syrus spat viciously. Chazz really looked surprised at that, but he wasn't about to turn down a duel, even if wasn't exactly sure why Syrus was so angry with him. He'd probably found out that Jaden had been meeting with him. Syrus was clingy enough to get pissed off about it, even though it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Alright, fine. We'll duel. Let's go."

Jaden had been looking around all the spots Syrus usually hung out in an attempt to find him, even though he should have been furiously trying to write his paper. He was heading towards the classrooms when he passed Bastion, who was practically running in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Bastion, what's the hurry?"

"Haven't you heard?" Bastion asked surprised. He was one of the few students that hadn't heard about Syrus leaving Jaden.

"Heard what?"

"Syrus is about to duel Chazz! He challenged him in front of the entire Obelisk house. The duel has already started."

"What! Where?" Jaden asked, shocked that his soft-spoken boyfriend would challenge someone as cocky as Chazz. He usually didn't duel with anyone other than himself or his brother. The only reason he'd been offered a spot in Obelisk was because he'd really pulled his grades up the past two years.

"Well, are you coming or not?" Bastion asked unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Jaden said quickly running past Bastion. He had a feeling something serious was going on. He didn't know what exactly, but he knew it wasn't anything good.

The two boys made it to the spot of the duel, but the crowd was so huge that they couldn't tell what was going on. They could, however, see that Syrus had an extremely powerful monster out.

"Little Syrus is kicking Chazz's ass! When did he get so good?" Jaden heard someone comment. Another girl, a first year, was quick to reply.

"Didn't you know? He's dueling to stay at the academy. He told Chazz he'd leave if he lost. He dumped Jaden Yuki, too! I don't know what's gotten into him, but this new assertive side of him is kinda cute! Too bad he's gay," the short blonde gossiped back.

Jaden couldn't move. Bastion was looking at him worriedly, an equally shocked look on his face.

"Jaden…I had no idea. When did all this happen?" Bastion asked hesitantly. Jaden was quickly becoming angry. He didn't know what was going on, but it had all gone way too far. He pushed through the crowd, intending to put a stop to the duel, but Syrus beat him to it.

All he heard was Chazz's groan as Syrus's attack took the last of his life points. Over the crowd's cheering, Syrus strode forward angrily and actually kicked Chazz in the side, forcing him to roll over and look up at him.

"We had a deal. Remember it!" With those final words, flanked by a smirking Zane and a worried looking Alexis, Syrus disappeared in the crowd. Jaden rushed forward and reached a hand out to Chazz. The other boy, predictably, got up on his own and merely glared at Jaden.

"Your boyfriend is a psycho!"

"Look, what's going on?" Jaden asked plaintively. A few Obelisks and Bastion had hung around, rather than departing after Syrus like everyone else.

"Syrus has dumped you," one girl said plainly. "No one knows his reasons exactly, but most people think it's because he thought you were cheating on him with Chazz," here she turned a questioning look on the defeated duelist. "And so Chazz started talking crap and Syrus got pissed off and challenged him to a duel. He said that if he won, Chazz could never talk to him again, and if he lost, he'd leave the Duel Academy. You know the rest."

"What the fuck! Why am I the last person to know?" Jaden stormed off in the direction Syrus had gone, leaving Bastion to stand awkwardly with the Obelisks.

"Are you alright, Chazz?" He asked levelly. The arrogant Obelisk was holding his side, but he nodded brusquely.

"Fine."

There was more silence and then, "Well, did you do it?"

Chazz glared darkly at the ground, his mouth a thin line.

"It would appear so, wouldn't it? Does it really matter?" He huffed angrily, glared once more at Bastion, then turned on his heel and left. To the gossiping girls, that was as good as an admission of guilt. They scurried off to tell their friends, and Bastion was left wondering why he hadn't gotten the full story.

It was a puzzling equation indeed, and something just didn't add up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author: **Dragon Radar

**Rating: **R

**Title: **_Cheater_

**Summary: **Syrus thinks Jaden is cheating on him, which means he has no choice but to leave him. Things aren't what they seem, but will Syrus find out the truth in time to salvage their two-year relationship? Judai/Sho, Yaoi

**A/N: **This story is set in the future, and I wasn't exactly sure how many years the students attend the Duel Academy. In my universe, they attend until they're nineteen. That means Zane is in his final year, and Syrus and Jaden are both seventeen.

**Cheater**

_**Chapter 3**_

"It was an excellent duel, Syrus," Zane complimented easily. Syrus glanced up at him, not really caring. It wasn't Zane's praise that he wanted. It hadn't even been a full day yet, and he was already wishing Jaden would just apologize. Now that he had taken some of his aggression out on Chazz, he was willing to talk about it, but not willing to be the one that went crawling back to Jaden.

Simultaneously, he was feeling pretty miserable about himself. He knew that he was lacking in a lot of ways. Sure, Jaden said he thought he was smart and funny, but most of the time Syrus just felt like it was lip service. He wished he could be as good looking as Zane or Chazz. He felt certain it was his body that had made Jaden seek out someone else. There was little he could do to change it. He couldn't make himself grow taller, and he ate like a pig – he just never gained weight. Short of plastic surgery, he didn't have many options. Maybe a new haircut?

Now he was just being stupid. A new haircut wasn't going to make his boyfriend come back.

"Earth to Syrus! Hey, I know you're bummed, but maybe going out would lift your spirits? A friend of mine is taking her boat to the mainland tonight. Zane and I are going. Come with us! It will cheer you up," Alexis said brightly.

"Oh, I don't know, Alexis, but thanks for inviting me."

"Of course he won't go. He's going to sit here all night and wait for Jaden to call him so that he can go crawling back to him begging to write his papers for him again," Zane said casually, standing up and pulling on a leather jacket. Syrus stood up angrily, but didn't protest. He merely grabbed his own jean jacket and gestured for the two of them to go first.

Jaden was having difficulties getting into the Obelisk dorm. That was actually an understatement. As if they had all decided that Syrus was one of them now, they refused to let Jaden as far as the parlor. He'd tried to make a break for it, having absolutely no idea where Zane's room was, but he'd been picked up by two big guys and dropped on his ass in the front lawn. He'd tried dueling to get inside, but no one was dumb enough to take him up on his offer. They simply wouldn't let him in. They called him quite a few nasty names as well, as if being booted wasn't embarrassing enough.

He loved Syrus, and he understood that his boyfriend was extremely sensitive, but Syrus had really made him angry by pulling such a stunt without even talking to him. Wasn't he worth at least a face to face break up? Syrus hadn't even called him! Jaden had found out from some gossipy first year! He really thought they were better than that – that they had something special.

The longer he thought about it, the angrier he got with Syrus. Instead of wanting to explain everything and kiss away their arguments, now he wanted to find him to give him a piece of his mind.

It was only luck that he spotted the ship at the docks, and all the Obelisks piling in. The silhouette of Syrus's hair was unmistakable.

There was no way he was going to let Syrus go out partying and hook up with some random guy. He might have been angry, but Syrus was still _his_.

There was only one person he knew who had a boat. It wasn't going to look good, but he didn't have any other options.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to take you on my boat to stop the guy who humiliated me and kicked me just today? That's a laugh, Jaden."

"Come on, Chazz! I thought we were friends! And it's partially your fault that I don't have a boyfriend anymore. If you hadn't insisted on being so secretive about…"

"Yeah, well, that was the deal. You took a risk and you lost. Go cry on someone else's shoulder," Chazz replied darkly.

"Hey, man, what's the deal? You're being more of a jerk than usual."

Chazz hesitated, then sat down on a nearby bench. Thankfully, Syrus had found Chazz in the gardens and hadn't had to sneak into the Obelisk dorms.

"I just realized that…this whole thing I'm trying to do…it's not going to work out."

"Why not? I wasn't lying when I said he was gay. I mean, it's pretty obvious if you know him well. And he's single, too."

"Yeah, well, he thinks I'm a prick and that's all there is to it. He doesn't know me at all. Today proved that."

"What did Bastion say to you?"

Chazz groaned. He hated when they mentioned names. It made the embarrassment of his situation all too real and mortifying. He hadn't come to grips with his homosexuality very easily, and it was even worse when he discovered he had a crush on a Ra Yellow. Still, he'd been willing to buck his family and pursue Bastion, but he didn't have any idea how to go about it. Naturally, he turned to the only other openly gay couple at school – Jaden and Syrus. It was obvious that Jaden was the one who had started things between them, because Syrus would have never had the guts. One thing led to another and under sworn secrecy, Jaden met up with Chazz to give him advice about relationships and to tell him inside information about Bastion. Chazz thought having an informant was the only way he'd ever be able to approach his crush. Of course, Syrus had eventually seen them together and assumed the worse, because he had absolutely no self-confidence, and now everything was going to hell.

"He asked if I had an affair with you."

"Yeah, so? You told him you didn't, right?"

"No, I didn't tell him! He shouldn't have asked! He should have known I would never – I mean, I've worked so hard to show him that I've changed, and he doesn't give me any credit at all!"

Jaden just rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Chazz, he's not a mind reader. He was giving you a chance to explain yourself. You have to admit, the situation looks bad. He could have just assumed it was all true, but he didn't. That's more than even Syrus did!"

Chazz seemed to think that over, and then he nodded.

"You're right. I have to explain to him."

"Fine, but you can explain on the way to the mainland."

"Alright, you have a deal."

"Oh, no! I'm not making anymore deals with you, Chazz. I've learned my lesson." Both boys grinned at each other, and then hurried to the Ra dorm to find Bastion.

The ship docked and the excited group of students began to jump off.

"Come on, Syrus. Let's go," Alexis encouraged. Syrus was sitting at the bow of the ship, staring gloomily into the water.

"I…I think I'll just stay here. I really don't feel up to it tonight."

Zane just shrugged and took Alexis's arm. "Let him be. As long as he's off the island, he can't go crawling back to Jaden."

Alexis felt a little guilty for leaving Syrus alone, but it was obvious he wanted some space.

"Alright, but we'll be back in a few hours, okay, Syrus?"

"Yeah, sure. Have fun, guys."

He got as comfortable as he could and pulled his jacket closer to his body. The wind coming off the water was getting colder by the minute, but he was feeling too miserable inside to care about how he felt on the outside. He stared into the black shifting water, wondering if he had the courage to jump inside. He'd still never learned to swim, despite all of Jaden's attempts to teach him.

But he couldn't do something like that without at least seeing Jaden one more time.

"Man, I'm pathetic! I bet Jaden isn't sitting at the beach thinking of offing himself! I should have gone with the others. Just because…because Jaden doesn't want me anymore…it's not the end of the world." The words didn't sound very convincing, but he was proud of himself for saying them all the same.

He continued to watch the water for another half hour, until the waves lulled him to sleep slumped over the side of the ship.

"Okay, so you didn't have an affair?" Bastion asked slowly.

"Right. I would never cheat on Syrus. I love Syrus," Jaden asserted simply.

"I knew you did – I admit I had trouble believing it, but then Chazz said.."

"I said that I might as _well_ have done it. Nobody seemed to think I had any honor anyway."

"And when you say 'nobody', you really mean me, don't you?"

Chazz ignored him, focusing on steering the boat instead. Finally, he commented grudgingly, "You're too smart for your own good."

Jaden tried to be extremely quiet, so that the two would finally say what they needed to say to each other.

"What I don't understand is why. Why would my opinion be so important to you, Chazz?"

"Because I…I…like you, alright? I like you. Are you happy now?"

"Wow. That was like pulling teeth!" Jaden joked, unable to resist. Bastion flashed him a grin and then stood up smoothly, despite the rocking of the boat. Chazz's hands were glued to the steering wheel, his eyes staring stubbornly ahead. Bastion came up behind him, encircling him with his arms and grabbing the steering wheel.

"It took you a long time to figure it out, but I'm glad you finally did."

"What? You mean you knew all along?"

"What exactly are you referring to? Do you mean your secret meetings with Jaden, the fact that you had a crush on me, or the fact that you were gay?"

Flustered, Chazz turned abruptly, forgetting Bastion was just behind him. They ended up in a very suggestive position. Chazz turned his face away, embarrassed. His cheeks were bright red. Bastion marveled that someone who talked so big could be so completely inexperienced at seventeen. Of course, he loved that Chazz was such a virgin. After all, there were some things Jaden couldn't teach him without _really_ deserving Syrus's wrath.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew? Why did you let me make a fool out of myself all this time?"

Bastion smirked, slanting his head so that he was almost speaking against Chazz's lips.

"Because I thought the idea of you developing a friendship with Jaden was a good thing, and the advice he was giving you was sound. You may not have noticed it, but everyone's been treating you differently, Chazz. I can name at least five people that have actually shown interest in becoming your actual friends. It was best to let you work things out on your own and change your behavior a bit…well, until Syrus got hurt." Much to Chazz's disappointment, Bastion pulled back to address Jaden.

"I apologize for that, Jaden. I should have stepped in sooner. Then this whole mess might have been avoided. A miscalculation on my part, I'm afraid."

Jaden smiled good-naturedly. "No problem, Bastion. If I can find him, Syrus will listen to reason. After all, that's why pencils have erasers, right?"

"Right," Bastion replied with a smile, turning quickly back to Chazz and kissing him passionately when he was caught off guard. Jaden watched on, realizing it had been over a full day since he'd kissed Syrus. It was a new record – one he fully intended to break at the first opportunity to do so.

At one point, Jaden had to bust up the party as they were about to crash into the dock. Those two sure had a lot of pent up passion! They probably would have gone at it all night if Jaden hadn't interrupted them.

Smirking like a cat that just caught the canary, Bastion sat gracefully down beside Jaden, his eyes shamelessly locked on Chazz's posterior as the other boy steered the ship up behind the only other ship at the dock. Much to Jaden's relief, he could see Syrus sleeping peacefully, illuminated by the dim dock lights.

As Jaden hopped out of the boat, Chazz stared a bit unsurely at Bastion. The other boy, a man really, extended his hand to him confidently, that calculatingly smug look still on his face. Nervously, Chazz placed his smaller hand in Bastion's, not protesting when Bastion pulled him onto his lap, resuming their earlier lip lock.

Jaden actually got a little worried when he saw the blue tinge to Syrus's cheeks and nose.

"Syrus, baby, wake up," he shook the bluenette gently, his anger long gone. All he wanted to do was wrap Syrus up in his arms and make him warm again.

"Wha – J-J-Jaden?" Syrus forced out between chattering teeth.

"What are you doing sitting out here in the cold? You're going to get sick. Here, put on my jacket," Jaden ordered, shrugging it off his shoulders and wrapping it around Syrus's shivering form. He only had on a T-shirt, and the wind was cold, but his own needs had always been far beneath Syrus's in Jaden's mind.

"I…I should have t-t-told you I was l-l-leaving you. I g-g-guess that was a little c-c-c-cowardly of me."

"No, Syrus. What was cowardly was not confronting me. When you saw me talking to Chazz, you should have just asked what was going on. I know you didn't see us kissing or anything, because we never did. I never cheated on you, Syrus. I was helping Chazz figure out his feelings for Bastion. He swore me to secrecy so I didn't tell you, even though I wanted to. I couldn't break my word." Jaden reached forward, expecting Syrus to happily jump into his arms, but he was sorely disappointed when Syrus slipped under his arm and moved away from him.

"That doesn't change what you said. You told Chazz…you t-t-told him you'd have to tell me to j-j-jump off a cliff to get rid of me. You think I'm too c-c-clingy and you use me to do your work for you. It's n-n-not right or f-f-fair."

Now Jaden was starting to get cold, but his teeth weren't chattering yet.

"That was a really bad way to make my point. I didn't intend it the way it sounded. I just meant I was going to have to come up with something elaborate to sneak away next time, that's all. And yes, you are clingy, and I love it. Did it ever occur to you that I cling on you, too? It's because I love you and I love spending time with you. Nobody else makes me feel the way you do. If I wanted to be alone, I'd tell you. It sounds like I'm talking to Alexis right now – not my Syrus."

Alexis and Jaden had dated, very briefly, but her arguments for their breakup had been roughly the same. She thought he was just using her. She had been right. He'd been trying to figure things out at the time, and she was available to experiment on. Syrus, however, was no experiment. He was a permanent fixture in Jaden's life.

"I guess…I guess you're r-r-r-right. She and Z-Z-Zane said I s-s-shouldn't write your papers for you. They m-m-made a big deal about it. I've never r-r-really minded. I l-l-like that you need my h-h-help. I like doing things f-f-for you. You do things I don't like to do for me, too, like the laundry."

Jaden laughed at that, opening his arms a second time.

"Come home, Sy. I've missed you," he confessed quietly. Syrus's beautiful gray eyes filled with tears, and this time Jaden wasn't disappointed. His lover hugged him tightly, practically squeezing the breath out of him.

"I love you, Jaden, more than anything," Syrus half-sobbed into his shirt. Jaden just smiled and kissed the top of his wild blue hair.

"I love you, too. Now let's get back home where it's warm. It's freezing out here!"

"Woah. When did that happen?" Syrus asked, eyeing Chazz and Bastion embracing passionately.

"I told you they had feelings for each other. Bastion knew about it all along, but he wanted Chazz to keep talking to me about it so that he'd figure out his emotions. Now they're together."

"They make a cute couple," Syrus said, half-teasingly, leaning into Jaden's warm embrace.

"I can think of something cuter," Jaden said with a mischievous little smile.

"Oh, really? And who would that be?" Syrus asked a bit breathlessly, walking right into Jaden's trap.

"My Winged Kuriboh, of course!"

Bastion glanced up at the two of them, now kissing sweetly.

"I guess everything worked out then. Let's get back to the island," Bastion nudged Chazz and nodded at Syrus. Chazz grimaced but took a deep breath.

"Hey, Slifer…"

"Chazz," Bastion cut in warningly. Chazz came astoundingly close to pouting, but he managed to keep his attitude.

"Syrus. I…apologize for making Jaden keep a secret from you. It wouldn't have hurt anything if you knew…I guess I was just…well…whatever."

Bastion looked pleased. Syrus grinned sheepishly.

"It's nice of you to apologize, Chazz, but I'm the one that owes you an apology. You and Jaden, both. I should have had more trust in Jaden, and even if you had done something as horrible as stealing him away from me, I should have never embarrassed you like I did. I mean, I kicked you! I'm so sorry! I was just _so_ angry. I've never been that angry before."

"Look, it's no big deal. You were dueling on a whole other level. Anyone would have lost to you. I just wish you'd found Jaden before you found me!"

Jaden laughed, but kissed Syrus's cheek.

"I wish I'd seen you duel, Sy. Sounds like it was a great match!"

"Yeah," he smirked, "I really did kick his ass."

"Syrus!" Jaden exclaimed in surprise. Chazz just stared, looking a bit like a fish out of water. Finally, he thrust his hand towards Syrus.

"You're not as spineless as you let on. I guess I judged you too fast, Syrus."

Syrus shook his hand, still radiating that confidence that seemed newly reborn in him.

"I could say the same to you…about judging you too fast, I mean. Friends?" he asked hopefully. Chazz paused, but he glanced at Bastion and a small smile crept over his face.

"Friends," he agreed.

Syrus borrowed Chazz's cell phone to call Alexis. He told her the abbreviated version of all that had happened as they sped back to the island. She sounded happy enough for him, but he didn't know if it was sincere or not. Personally, Syrus thought that dating Zane had spoiled a bit of Alexis's sweet personality. He also figured she'd never really gotten over being dumped by Jaden. They hadn't been very close after that.

He gave Chazz his phone back and then went to sit in Jaden's lap. The two of them immediately snuggled together, their technique perfected over the two years they'd been together. After watching them for a few moments, Bastion resumed his position standing behind Chazz at the wheel, his arms wrapped around the slightly shorter boy.

"This is nice, huh Jaden?"

"Yeah, I'd say so. It'll be even nicer when we get home. The bunk bed missed you." Syrus blushed, but because of the wind he knew that Chazz and Bastion hadn't overheard.

"I missed the bunk bed…and making love with you. We'll have to catch up. We're a whole day behind."

"And skinny dipping at the beach…though it's really getting too cold for that now."

Syrus pressed his cold lips against Jaden's ear, his jaw and neck.

"I don't know. I bet we could move fast enough to stay warm." Jaden didn't reply, merely gave Syrus butterfly kisses of his own all over the smaller boy's frozen hands. "Jaden?" Syrus asked, almost whispering.

"Hmmm?" his boyfriend replied a bit distractedly. He was really getting into kissing Syrus's hands, watching the heat come back into them as if his kisses were magic.

"When we get home, make love to me, okay?" At the softly spoken request, Jaden nearly came undone.

"Oh, god…yes, Syrus. Until we pass out or the bunk bed collapses."

The bunk bed did, in fact, see quite a bit of action the next few days. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind both boys had hoped for.

"Jathen…I'm still colth," Syrus moaned, shivering under his heap of blankets. His nose was stuffy and his eyes were red. The school nurse said it was a really bad cold, and there was nothing to do but keep him warm and fill him up with hot soup.

Jaden took his tasks very seriously. Since they were out of blankets, he toed off his shoes and climbed into bed with his sick boyfriend. Syrus weakly embraced him, unknowingly wiping his nose on Jaden's shirt. Jaden made a face that Syrus couldn't see, but he didn't complain. Syrus was just too pitiful at the moment.

"Sy, you know I'm probably going to come down with this, too, now."

"Yeah, I know. I'll take care of you."

Jaden smiled. He had a feeling Syrus would be taking care of him for a long, long time.

**A/N: **That's the end, folks. Hope you liked it. Someone thought this ended after the last chapter, but I planned it as a trilogy with a happy ending. There was also some confusion over what Bastion was questioning Chazz about. He was asking him if he really slept with Jaden. Chazz was saying that he didn't, but he might as well have because everyone automatically assumed he had. He was angry because Bastion didn't have any faith in him. So, yeah, I hope everyone enjoyed the story. I thought about what this pairing should be called and I've just been calling them "Shodai" fics in my head.


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